sweltered; sweltering
ˈswel-t(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to suffer, sweat, or be faint from heat
2
: to become exceedingly hot
in summer, the place swelters
Examples of swelter in a Sentence
Verb
We were sweltering in the summer heat.
Noun
the set designer spent the entire week before opening night in a swelter
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
From sixth grade on, my class did week-long projects that took us to sweltering rice fields several hours north.
—Natalia Paradies, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
The fire comes as parts of the West Coast swelter under a heat wave.
—Jack Moore, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swelter
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Verb
The weather is warm but not sweltering, hovering in the high 70s with little rain—perfect for snorkeling among the coral reefs of Andros, kayaking through the Exumas’ turquoise shallows, or simply sinking into a hammock with a book and beer in hand.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
From sixth grade on, my class did week-long projects that took us to sweltering rice fields several hours north.
—Natalia Paradies, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
Its living room rapidly reached the swelter and volume of a blacksmith’s forge operating as a front for an unlicensed tavern.
—Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
The fire comes as parts of the West Coast swelter under a heat wave.
—Jack Moore, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swelter
Cite this Entry
“Swelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swelter. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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